Hampstead Theatre

Bennetts Associates, Camden, 2003

 

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The exterior is an elegant mix of glazing, timber slatting and coloured light panels 

Peter Cook/VIEW (website)     Download Original

  • The exterior is an elegant mix of glazing, timber slatting and coloured light panels    
  • Timber boarding facade    
  • The zinc clad sculptural form of the auditorium is clearly visible through the semi-transparent pavillion that houses the foye and the cafe bar area    
  • The foyer connects the three storeys of the building    
  • Ramped bridges provide access to the theatres auditorium    
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  • Details of the bar    
  • The seating is a gentle ellipse, with the leading edges of the stalls and balcony incoporating seating areas resembling traditional boxes    
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  • Precast cantilevered colums which support the auditorium are a prominent feature of the lower foyer    
  • Back-of-stage area    
  • Masterplan    
  • Basement layout plan    
  • Ground floor plan    
  • First floor plan    
  • Long section    
  • Detail of acoustic screens to theatre    
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Writers' theatre in north London, with an auditorium that is flexible in both staging and seating configurations.

The three storeys, one below ground, are connected by the foyer. Wrapped around the auditorium at ground level are the cafe/bar space, box office and WCs – ramped bridges extend across the foyer void to access the auditorium.

To the rear there is a large workshop space with access directly from the street. The theatre has no stage door, actors, staff and audiences enter by the same route. Offices, wardrobe and dressing rooms are on the first floor, where there is direct access to the auditorium balcony seating and an overflow foyer area. Separate front and back-of-house stairs provide the necessary dedicated circulation routes for public and staff.

The exterior of the building is clad in a mixture of glazing, timber slatting and coloured light panels. The theatre is firmly rooted to the ground, with level access from the street it reading as a semi-transparent, two storey orthogonal steel-framed pavilion in which the sculptural form can be clearly distinguished, rising above the enclosure.

Data

  • Begun: 1994
  • Completed: 2003
  • Floor area: 3,358m2
  • Sector: Arts and culture
  • Total cost: £15.7M
  • Address: Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, Camden, NW3 3EU, United Kingdom

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